


Preparations and Distractions

by Jetainia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Buddist Cho Chang, F/M, Family, Fluff, Jewish Cedric Diggory, Jewish Characters, Jewish Luna Lovegood, bat mitzvah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25396834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetainia/pseuds/Jetainia
Summary: Preparing a bat mitzvah is a lot of work; luckily, Luna's roped in Cedric to distract her when it threatens to become overwhelming.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory & Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory
Kudos: 7





	Preparations and Distractions

Luna remembers watching Cedric go through the same process that she was now going through herself. They had practiced together sometimes, even though Cedric's bar mitzvah had been in eight months and Luna's in more than a year. It was only thanks to Professor Sprout that their practice, and the bar mitzvah itself, had gone as smoothly as they had done. While Hogwarts had no policies _against_ a student following the practices of their religion, it certainly didn't bend its rules or make exceptions for 'frivolous' reasons.

Professor Sprout, being Jewish herself, worked as a bar/bat mitzvah tutor to any student preparing for their bar or bat mitzvah as well as helping get them out of the castle to the synagogue down in Hogsmeade for the event. Hogsmeade weekends were only available to third years and up and only at specific points, after all, which made it hard for the girls who had their bat mitzvahs at twelve or the children who had birthdays nowhere near a Hogsmeade weekend to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Now, even as Luna fiddled with her quill and should be working on Transfiguration homework, she was quietly reciting the blessing she would be saying for her first aliyah and had the Tetzaveh portion of the Torah open in front of her. Cho Chang—Cedric's girlfriend and a fellow Ravenclaw—sat next to her and silently read a section of the Tripitaka.

Luna liked Cho and highly approved of her for her cousin—a fact that, when stated, would cause Cedric to grin and playfully shove her away in embarrassment. Even now, as Cho seemed to be immersed in her book, she was keeping watch over Luna to ensure that no one disturbed her as she allegedly worked on the Transfiguration essay due in two days. The essay was mostly done, and Luna hadn't been able to focus on it any longer. Besides, preparation for her bat mitzvah was easily more important than a single essay.

She had six months left and she had sent her father a letter with a list of the friends from Hogwarts she would like to invite, as well as other people she knew outside the school. Cedric would be there, of course, and so would Cho. She hoped Ginny and her family would be able to make it—Ginny, Fred, and George had already assured her during Cedric's bar mitzvah that they'd be there for hers as well. Professor Sprout would also be invited (and be the one to make it possible for Luna and her fellow students to get to the synagogue in Hogsmeade).

The Dreaming Hippogriff had been notified of the event and knew to prepare for a multitude of bookings for the weekend of Luna's bat mitzvah. They were well used to such happenings and although the owners weren't Jewish themselves, they happily dropped their rates for a group in town for a bar or bat mitzvah or a similar event to make it easier; Hogwarts itself might not make it simple for practices differing from their own to be followed, but staff like Professor Sprout and the people in Hogsmeade did their best to help.

Right now, the only thing Luna had left to really think about in terms of planning were the table centrepieces and party favours. Her mitzvah project had been easy to decide, and highly inspired by the Forbidden Forest and those who lived within it. While Newt Scamander had done wonders on categorising the creatures he came across and making the wizarding world _better_ at accepting them, there was still a huge gap between wixen and their non-human magical counterparts. Even the goblins, who most believed to be the most accepted non-human magical beings, faced discrimination every day and had been beaten down every time they tried to stand up for themselves.

She had asked herself the four questions—What am I good at? What do I like to do? What bothers me so much about what is wrong in the world that I get very angry and want to do whatever I can to change it? Whom do I know?—and settled on how the wizarding world treated those it believed to belong to outskirts and how she could make that better. In that vein, the choice for centrepieces was difficult. Did she want more active centrepieces such as petitions to the Ministry or more immediately useful centrepieces such as favoured delicacies or a mixture of hard-to-get supplies if you were not wixen? It was something she needed to talk to her father, Professor Sprout, and Cedric about.

As if summoned (though truly previously arranged), Cedric stepped through the door to the Ravenclaw Common Room and waved happily to Luna and Cho. He was a common sight in Ravenclaw and no longer caused a stir when he entered—not that he ever really had, visitors from other Houses were reasonably common in Ravenclaw Tower. Cedric made his way over to the duo and flopped down between them on the couch.

Cho smiled at him, picked up his hand and kissed the back of it before turning back to the Tripitaka still holding his hand. Luna skimmed over the rest of the Tetzaveh and then closed the book with a sigh, leaning against her cousin. He hugged her sideways and squeezed briefly.

"How you going, Luna?"

She nodded and snuggled deeper into Cedric's side. "Pretty good. I'm pretty confident about my aliyah and I've started writing a prayer. I just need to talk to Professor Sprout and Dad about centrepieces."

Cedric made a fake wounded sound. "You don't need to talk to me about centrepieces? How could my little cousin be so independent already!"

"I'm talking to you about them now, aren't I?" Luna asked, trying not to laugh.

"True, true. I am at your disposal, _bat dod_. I obviously know everything you could possibly need to ask about."

"Of course, of course. And when you don't know, you'll ask Cho, and _she'll_ know. Right?"

Cho looked up from reading and grinned at Luna. Cedric was trying to pout but it kept turning into a smile, especially when Cho gave him an affectionate kiss and stroked her thumb over the back of the hand she still held, and Luna gave into her giggles. He laughed happily and then stood up, gesturing to the two of them.

"Come on then, up you get. Your distraction for the evening is about to begin. I'm thinking picnic, a few rounds of Dreidel, maybe some flying, and a walk to finish off. Yes?"

Cho marked her place and went to put the Tripitaka away as Luna gathered up the various bits of parchment around her to do the same. "Perfect," Luna said as she gave Cedric a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Cedric said, returning the hug before shooing her off to dump her things in her dorm room.

Preparing for her bat mitzvah was important—certainly more important than Transfiguration—but she couldn't spend all her time obsessing over it and she had tasked Cedric with distracting her, just as she had done for him when he had been preparing. Just as preparation was vital, so was distraction when the preparation became overwhelming.

She bounded down the stairs to the Common Room again and latched herself to Cedric's free arm happily. Cho stood on the other side holding his hand and Cedric used his leverage to pull his two favourite people out of the tower and down to the grounds where a picnic was waiting for them.


End file.
